


A Hell of A Deal

by FabulousMe4333



Category: Hazbin Hotel (Web Series)
Genre: Alastor is Bad at Feelings (Hazbin Hotel), Alastor is in Hell for a Reason (Hazbin Hotel), Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Deal with a Devil, Heaven & Hell, Manipulative Alastor (Hazbin Hotel), Protective Alastor (Hazbin Hotel), Protective Vaggie (Hazbin Hotel), Vaggie is So Done (Hazbin Hotel)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:14:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26796454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FabulousMe4333/pseuds/FabulousMe4333
Summary: “The deal is who gets a demon redeemed first. If you lose, then you will leave Charlie, this hotel and everyone here alone forever! You’ll not appear in my line of sight ever again, you pompous shitlord!” Vaggie shouted, her ribbon flaring upwards as she bared her teeth at the taller demon, who was only too amused.“And if I win?” Alastor’s permanent grin was stretching at a steady speed as he clicked his palm with his claws.She frowned, before looking down at the floor, barely hissing out the words. “Then you’re free to do anything you please… and I’ll leave.”“So it’s a deal then?” He stretched his hand eagerly as his eyes smiled with his mouth.A hesitation. Her eyes were clouded with doubt. “It’s… it’s a deal.”And with a snap he was gone, with only his final message and an almost maniacal cackle echoing in the halls. “I promise you won’t regret it, my dear. After all, this is a hell of a deal!”
Relationships: Alastor & Charlie Magne & Vaggie, Alastor & Husk & Niffty (Hazbin Hotel), Alastor & Lucifer Magne, Alastor & Vaggie (Hazbin Hotel), Alastor & Vox (Hazbin Hotel), Alastor/Charlie Magne, Angel Dust & Valentino (Hazbin Hotel), Charlie Magne/Seviathan Von Eldritch, Charlie Magne/Vaggie, Lilith Magne/Lucifer Magne
Comments: 2
Kudos: 28





	1. Chapter 1

Two muffled voices echoed through a dimly lit hall, their dancing shadows silhouetting two figures. One was tall and slender, his clawed fingers clutching a thin cane with a sentient vintage style microphone, the shadow of his wide smile and his eyes painting the walls a dark crimson. The other was slim, her hair a furry around her dark grey cheeks, her hands clutched, her teeth bared, her left eye the shape of an X glowing a dangerous red. 

“Cabrón hijo de perra! It doesn’t matter what Charlie say, you are an unpredictable source of danger, a wicked spirit of mystery and a violent monster of chaos, a liar and a deal maker, a destructive tyrant with cryptic and immoral goals and a pompous, cheesy talk show sh*tlord, a sinful creature incapable of redemption and likes of which this hotel can’t risk being involved with unless we want to end up erased!” The smaller figure shouted, a sharp finger pointing accusingly at the other. 

“Why, when all is said and done, the charming demon belle is still the owner of this hotel, and she said I can help for as long as I desire! You should start listening to your best friend, darling!” Alastor only laughed, her words as meaningless to him as it was amusing, as he thumped his cane against the worned floor. Dusting his red pine striped coat with a side glance he found himself looking around, quietly noting that the upstairs hallway was empty during this hour of the day and that there’s no prying ears and unwanted eyes through the cracks of walls and doors.

“Don’t tell me what to do and don’t speak like you know what’s the best for her or me. Or this hotel!” Vaggie hissed, her ribbon flaring upward with her white hair, her teeth clenched. “I know you have another reason to ‘help’, another motive, one far sinister than just boredom!” She shrieked, her throat slightly hoarse from the hissing.

Alastor rolled his eyes, though his smile only stretched. He was starting to entertain the notion of leaving, jaded by the moth demon’s fiery temper and her choice of colourful words. It was so amusing at first… “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here! You should keep your speculations to yourself until you can prove it, shouldn’t you darling? I am and will help with this silly idea of Charlie’s, perhaps even more than you! Tell me dear, what have you done for the hotel before I arrived?” He ventured, purposefully wishing to provoke her as he examined his long, red claws with disinterest.

She looked like she was set ablaze by the mere words, her face red, her arms open to the side, her hand clutched painfully with her nails digging into her palm and she opened her mouth, as if ready to roar at how wrong he is. Suddenly, something came to moth demon and her eyes widened, her lips stopped shaking in anger and the glimmering of her left eye paled. Alastor stared down at her, curiosity and confusion hinted in his own, faintly glowing eyes.

“And what if we make a deal?” She suddenly asked. His attention was grabbed in a second, his grin widening to the limit as his sharp teeth glinted. His fingers itched with anticipation as his shadow laughed, its crackle only audible to his ears. 

“What? Pardon me my dear but did I hear you right? A deal?” Red demonic symbols began to shimmer beside him in excitement as he twirled with his cane. His delight was barely contained as he practically chirped. “Sudden but I like it! Now why haven’t you mentioned this earlier? What’s on the table, darling?” 

“If you think you can help with the hotel more than I then prove it! Get the first sinner redeemed and into heaven!” Alastor raised an eyebrow at this as he cocked his head but he kept listening. 

“If you lose, then you will f*ck off to where you came from and leave Charlie, the hotel and everyone in it alone forever and you will never, ever appear again in my line of sight!” She snarled, her words meant to be biting and dripping with venom but Alastor didn’t miss her doubt and hesitance. 

A smile the Cheshire Cat would have been jealous of stretched as he clicked his clawed fingers against his palm. His mind raced, seizing every loophole this could offer. His shadows danced on the walls behind the moth demon, their glee all too evident and identical to their master’s As his radio static buzzed. “And if I win?”

“Then I won’t question you again. You’re free to do as you please for the rest of your miserable time in Hell.” She turned, breaking eye contact and crossing her arms. Alastor almost laughed.

With one sharp claw he turned her face towards him as he towered over her, his other hand behind his back. “Now that simply won’t do! Doesn’t sound exactly fair if all I get is nothing! How about we turn the tables to a more exciting direction! It’s all or nothing!” His fingers skillfully slide his microphone from one hand to the next. “What if when I win, you’ll leave instead?”

“What? No! Charlie will never agree to that!” Vaggie shouted, her eyebrows knitted, but he could tell she was pondering the possibility, dangling and clinging to his words with caution.

Alastor’s smirk didn’t waver. “Do you want me gone or not? I can always stay around her for as long as I desire. That Charlie did agree to, didn’t she?” He knew the right words to say, the right cards to play, the right nudge in the right direction to get him where he wants. His words rolled off his tongue like they were prepared, carefully chosen and just waiting to be spoken. His eyes glimmered with amusement as the moth demon fell silent. 

She sighed, her eyes pinned on the ground, her hands unimaginably tight as they clutched her crossed arms. Her ribbon dropped and she looked… sad. Forced. Disappointed.  **Gullible.** His shadow snickered, its distorted smile flickering on the wall as Alastor said almost casually as he bent down with elegance and stretched his hand eagerly, his eyes smiling with his mouth. “So it’s a deal then?”

A blast of green light and air erupted from his palm, shadowing the hall in an eerie hue, sending her white hair into a parade but she stayed unmoved. Her eyes clouded with doubt, her hand hesitant and curled protective on her chest, her frown evident on her pale cheeks. 

Just one small, tiny push and she would give in, just like all of those before her. “Remember, if you don’t shake on it, then I might not keep my word. You were just so certain about winning, about me unable to help whatsoever moments ago, or are you now admitting that I was right and you were wrong?” He said, his radio static muffling his voice as he held his arm there for a moment longer. “I won’t offer this twice.” 

She caved. Her arm looks as if it was made of lead as she dragged it upward toward his hand so hesitantly. “Oh and additionally, this deal is only between us. No other demon can hear of this, including Charlie.” He added, and smirked when Vaggie just nodded her head slowly, as if already defeated. He grabbed her hand tightly and shook it firmly, though weakly in her part. For a moment air swirled around them in a frantic dance, the wind biting and hauntingly joyful as it hiss against the shell of their ears in a mocking laughter along with Alastor’s silhouette as Alastor closed his eyes, relishing in the feeling of a warm current of power coursing through him in that one handshake. It made him ache for memories of what seemed to be centuries ago, when he still had access to the mortal world and the foolish, weak, laughable and gullible inhabitant within. Ah, how he adores making deals and trickeries. It was all so very entertaining, and this deal was one of a kind.

With a snap he vanished before the moth demon, as if afraid she’d change her mind, with only his final message and an almost maniacal cackle echoing in the halls. “I promise you won’t regret it, my dear. After all, this is a hell of a deal!” 

There was absolutely no doubt that Alastor only agreed for the entertainment. How amusing this little competition was, and how little it cost him but how much it would cost for her to lose. It was just too good to pass! Though he was still sceptical of wether or not it was even possible, at least he can’t lose, right? Suffice to say, despite this being all just a game to him, when he plays he doesn’t lose, and when you gamble souls the house always wins. The thought made his already impossible grin wider as he teleported himself through an endless amount of space, lucid colours dazzling between his shadows before dropping him at his destination.

At the King of Hell, Lucifer’s doorstep. He went up and opened the door, taking the liberty to welcome himself into the luxurious halls of Charlie’s father’s mansion.

The grey moth demon had been right, though Alastor was far from admitting it. Alastor came to the hotel after the catastrophically amusing picture show seeking entertainment and, though it would be long before he revealed it, the blood that the King of Hell had with his daughter. This delicate family issue was a loophole he believed he could abuse and manipulate in order to regain the power banished by the fallen angel that was rightfully his: the pathway to the mortal world and the ability to make deals with the gullible, the weak and the greed. It was an unlimited source of power with an ultimate reward: the throne as the King of Hell himself, and Alastor was way too eager to cache in as much favours to please the little naive princess of Hell as he twirls her around his fingers, letting her dance unknowingly to his tune. 

A big bad wolf is coming for a certain little doe-eyed red riding hood, and if that means dressing as grandma for a bit, then that just makes the hunt all the more entertaining. 

So sure, there was an underlying benefit from this ridiculous deal. It was certain that Charlie, oh the charming princess belle, still had doubts about him. If he could prove his worth and place all while getting rid of the ultimate source of alert and suspicious, her bluenose friend Vaggie, then it all seemed pretty worth it to him. Entertainment… well, that’s always a bonus, no?


	2. Chapter 2

Vaggie found herself by Charlie’s side the next day as they descended down the staircase, her white hair rustling against her grey shoulder as she took a slow, deep breath in through her nose while looking out into the living room, spotting their sparing employees and their own current customer, Angel Dust, scattered like dots around the corners.

The hotel had changed quite a bit from the rundown ruins of better days she’d lay her eyes upon the first time, and though the change was done majorly after someone’s arrival, she is only willing to give credit to Niffty. From time to time one could see the glowing girl flashing from section to section of the hotel. Annoyance and joy radiating off of her, cleaning seemed to relax and hyper her at the same time. It was obvious that no one in the hotel knew how to wipe their feet or wash their hands while walking around and the alcohol that got thrown on the floor shamelessly from time to time bugged her. When she waited and observed to see if there was anything else to clean, the small demon would practically bounce up and down, the energy unable to contain within her. “Wipe your feet guys!” The girl squeaked as she practically knocked over her and Charlie as they entered the doorway. Vaggie slightly tensed, her hands wrapped protectively around Charlie’s arms as she hissed.

Parts of the hotel were still under remodeling. Charlie and the Radio Demon spend days and nights discussing the designs, outline and layout and still some parts were left undecided. It was frustrating as it indicated that Charlie, as the manager, still had more talking to do with her so-called investor.

Said investor was spotted marching down the doorway, static noise laminating around him, his ears tilting ever so slightly at every notice surrounding him. Despite being powerful, it seemed impossible to catch the eccentric overlord off guard. His ears perked up at the sound of their footsteps and no time spent getting into Charlie’s face, their nose almost touching. Vaggie immediately hissed as Charlie stuttered. “Ah- Al! Hi! What are you doing?”

“Why, pulling you into a dance, my dear!” He looked so entertained by Charlie’s reaction, staring hard at Charlie’s furrowed brows and agaped mouth that always seems to turn into a smile. His own permanent grin in place, he laughed. “My theatrical demon belle, you should know by now that a dance and musical number is never a surprise when I’m around.”

Vaggie suddenly lost her balance as something hard was poked into her waist. Immediately the force sent her colliding onto the ground, a layer of dust on the floor disturbed and exploded into the air, tainting her hair, cloth and pink ribbon and gushing into her lungs. “Ops! My mistake, darling! You are so so soooo tiny and I didn’t notice!” His voice was filled with mockery as he bent over her with a maniacal smile before turning to Charlie once more.

She gritted her teeth before shouting, her fangs bared. “You knew it you jackass!” The cross on her left eye glowed a dangerous red, but Alastor only laughed as he directed Charlie’s attention elsewhere, his hand drifting downward, almost holding onto Charlie's lower back, like fencing her in or being there to catch her if she fell backwards.

She was watching them so intently she didn’t hear the sound of wheels grumbling against the floor until a searing pain flooded her and a loud ripping sound filled her ears. Lying on the ground, her hair had been caught in the wheels of Husk’s cart. With a shriek she pulled her matted flurry of torn strands out as Husk growled. “Watch out! I almost dropped the wine, B*tch!”

A sharp finger on the bartender’s nose Vaggie hissed, venom drooling off her words, anger boiling with the pain as she clutched her flaring hair. “F*ck you asshole! My hair and ribbon are ripped out because of you, you useless alcoholic cat!”

Before Husk could respond Vaggie catch Niffty in the corner of her eyes. The one eyed demon picked up her discarded ribbon and with a careless motion threw it into the fireplace. Immediately Vaggie threw her feet at the small demon, sending her flying.

Slumping down on the sofa, cursing in Spanish underneath her breath as hostility radiated off her burning skin, making her unapproachable.

Vaggie knew it was a mistake. The deal that evening, in that particular hallway, with that particular demon and his shit-eating grin.

But she was desperate. She wanted him gone forever but didn’t know how else to do it.

It’s only been weeks since the Radio Demon arrived at their doorsteps and she already hates him with every inch of her being. She hated his dark humour, his radio host voice filled with static, the way he talk and waltz around in such a carefree manner, his stupid permanent smile. But most of all she hated Charlie.

She hated how Charlie seemed to love to sing and dance almost as much as he did. She hates how Charlie never seemed scared of him, which seemed to amuse him so very much. She hated how Charlie saw him as a friend, the way she smiled and laughed so brightly and so sincerely at his jokes, at his gestures, his songs and dances. She hated how, before, she always had to be the reality that rooted Charlie to the ground, the one that strapped the limits of her imagination, the one that drew the boundaries of her dreams, the one that protected Charlie from danger, from the cruelty of reality. Now, more than ever, she felt Charlie’s annoyance and slight distrust, as Alastor did just the opposite.

Alastor encouraged her enthusiasm and her somewhat foolish yet passionate ideas. He urged her to speak her voice, to spread her positivity no matter how dangerous and risky it was. He supports her most optimistic but at the same time unrealistic thoughts, expanding them and letting them flourish out of control. It was stupid, how immature they both acted, both seemingly believing that the world, Hell especially, was a fantasy and a fairytale. But Vaggie knew Alastor knew. She knew he knew how naive it was, how threatening and how idiotic those idealism and those dreams are. But he let it, no, urged it to grow, because he wanted to see Charlie hurt and crushed. He wanted to see Charlie fail, to see her disappointed, to see her cry. To Vaggie, it shows how Alastor didn’t care for the reputation of the hotel, or Charlie as a matter of fact, and that he, along with the rest of hell, saw this all as an enormous laughstock and joke.

She needed Alastor gone before his plan can come into action, and if making a deal and selling her soul out, then so be it. Because she, unlike seemingly everyone else, cared about Charlie. Perhaps more than an employee to a boss, more than a friend to another, more than anything.

It was just so frustrating that Charlie was refusing her. That Charlie didn’t believe her, didn’t trust her, didn’t listen to her when she told her not to open the door or to make a deal. (How ironic that she ended up doing the exact opposite of what she warned.) In fact, nobody believed her.

Vaggie looked into the distance, finding Charlie and about to rip her away from the deer demon when to her surprise he tossed Charlie into the air as the atmosphere changed along with the colours and their clothes.

She watched as the Radio Demon found himself almost perfectly in sync with the girl he held close to him. Charlie may not have even known what dance he may have been attempting, but she kept up and improvised if she ever had to. His usual smile turned to joy as the two jumped and danced across the Hotel lobby, gracefully flowing by anyone who may have been trying to get through. Vaggie found Alastor looking over at her every now and then, enjoying the reaction he was getting out of her. She glared, her arms crossed, nose flaring. At some points she would found his gaze remaining on her, his head staying in place as his half-lidded eyes and sh*t-eating grin boring into her while his body spun around. Charlie never seemed to notice, but Vaggie always did, and it only erupted the warnings and red flags screaming at her to keep Charlie away from him.

She watched as the song came to an end and the two came to a stop, Alastor dipping the blonde with one hand and pinching her cheek playfully with another. Giggles escaped her lips as she attempted to stand upright again with his help.

“That’s always a good way to start the day!” The girl proclaimed with fists resting upon her hips. Her breathing was heavy as she watched the tall man before her. He had broken no sweat during that number nor was his breathing any different before. Instead he just stood before her, a closed grin and half lidded eyes peering down at her. Vaggie took in the slight rise and fall of Charlie’s breath, her laughter so bright and full, her posture so natural.

Vaggie wanted to speak her voice, to tell Charlie this but... it wasn’t like Vaggie could dance with her that well. All Vaggie could do is plead for her to stop singing, to oppress Charlie’s soaring voice and bright smile. She always seemed so happy with Alastor.

She just want to keep her smiling.

A voice was screeching its throat hoarse, pleading Vaggie to do something, to stop being helpless and let Alastor get everything he wanted. That the Radio Demon wasn’t just a quirky clown but a mastermind, a dangerous entity, an unimaginable threat.

”Charlie my dear what a talented dancer you are!” Alastor proclaimed loudly. “Absolutely just the bees-knees!” More laughs emitted from the blond girl, his long fingers moving for his thumb to rest upon her chin to keep her head up. “We should really do this more often!”

”I agree!” Charlie’s words almost exploded out of her. As Vaggie came closer she didn’t even notice until now how almost intimately he was holding her face, which only made her scowl. All Charlie could do, however, was bounce in place as if ready to do yet another dance number with one of her favorite dance partners.

“I don’t.” Vaggie piped up, grabbing Charlie’s hand and pulling her away from the radio demon. “He’s a creep and he’s dangerous.” Pulling Charlie closer, she began to whisper. “Don’t get so close to him, he might do something bad… I don’t know what but dancing inches away from his face where he could probably bite your neck off in one try like the cannibal that he is doesn’t sound like the best of ideas.”

“Oh please Vaggie. I can handle him! I’m the princess of Hell after all!” Charlie beamed, her face still slightly red from the dancing as she pretended to be sassy, looking sideways down at the black polish of her nails. Vaggie gave a weak smile and avoided her glance, her heart aching to tell Charlie the deal she made with Alastor but she was suddenly acutely aware of how much of a mastermind the Radio demon outsmarted her with that last, almost forgettable detail of their deal.

What has she gotten herself into?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this story Vaggie is not a couple with Charlie but she does see her as more than a friend! 
> 
> Part of this chapter is inspired by Her Addicting Euphoria by SeaweedRain. Check out the fanfic here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25779187/chapters/62611723 
> 
> As always, comment and keep reading!


	3. Chapter 3

Charlie’s blond thick hair tied at the end with a thorny black vine swayed impatiently by her side as she stormed into the streets of Hell. Red, illuminated windows of a list of strange shaped buildings cast a shadow uponed her as she made her way down the sidewalk, every step made with a grunt from the floor beneath her as she stomped.

“Seriously, where did Al run off to???” She muttered underneath her breath, her eyebrows squeezed tightly together and her lips pursed into a slim frown. “He was just waltzing with me yesterday but now he’s completely vanished!” The Radio Demon was suppose to help her find some patrons this morning, yet she just couldn’t find him anywhere. Husk and Niffty were still in the hotel, but they didn’t seem to know where he went either. 

Charlie’s lips failed to rise as she recalled her conversations with them. Niffty had simply shrugged while sipping her cup while Husk grunted. “I don’t f*cking know. I’m not his f*cking babysitter!” She had winced at the swears, but they were too common in the world of Hell. Something she was trying to change, along with all the sins and horrid habits.

“Perhaps he changed his mind about helping us…” she whispered quietly to the shrilling wind scratching her rosy cheeks, the thought casting her gaze downward to the broken cobblestone roads and garbage littered about. She stopped walking and a small sigh, one barely a whimper, escaped her as her eyes threatened to water. “I should have known it was too good to be true.”

She was silent for a moment, her mind drowning her optimism and cheerfulness with grim possibilities and thoughts. The extermination clock ticked in the distant, symbolizing the every melting time her dream was racing against. The stack of paper she was clutching protectively to her chest loosened as her entire face darkened, her eyes losing the usual sparkle. 

“Well, that’s alright! We can still do this!” She suddenly raises her hand into a fist, her eyes beaming with determination once more. “There's no reason to give up before we’ve actually tried!”

Marching down an alleyway with purpose and resolve she smiled as she nodded to herself. “Just got to go back to plan A is all!” She looked down at the pages of flyers she was carrying with a hint of pride. “I stayed up all night making these new flyers!” She had handwritten them all, each with such delicate care as she poured her emotions out with her pen, staying up late and ignoring the heaviness of her eyelid until every one of them was perfect. “They’re sure to convince at least a few demons to join our cause!” She took out one flyer to examine it the last time for reassurance, her eyes dancing across the page briefly before they caught something else. In between two tall, featureless buildings were three demons.

“Oh! Some potential patrons!” Her eyes widened before a smile quickly followed, her face brightening at the mere thought. 

“Hello there! Good morning-!” There was a wolf demon with yellow eyes and edgy outfit, his fur switching between a dark purple and a pale white as he glared at Charlie with a hint of disgust.there were also this lizard demon with big horns and a pale, ghoul-like girl demon. Charlie took a quick yet deep breath before relaxing her face into a sincere smile, widening her eyes and said with as much enthusiasm and politeness as possible.“I’m Charlie! If you wouldn’t mind sparing a few moments of your time. I would like to talk to you about a wonderful opportunity to-“

“If you’re talking about that completely bullshit you were spouting on the news that day, we ain’t interested.” The wolf demon interrupted, hissing out his words as if hauling them from the back of his throat.

“What are you talking about?” The ghoul demon asked, her eyes a shade of confusion.

“What, you didn’t see it?” The lizard demon asked before the ghoul demon shook her head. The lizard laughed, his voice a sound of rusty chains as he pointed an orange finger at Charlie, “This chick thinks sinners can be redeemed and go to heaven, if they stay at some shitty halfway house of hers!” His said before ending with a snort,

“Actually, it’s a hotel…” Charlie’s voice shook as her smile wilted ever so slightly before she straightened her back. “And I’m sure you’ll find staying there to be quite comfortable! If you would just take a look at this flyer…!” Eagerly she took a flyer out of her pile and handed it toward the wolf demon, who glared at her hand with malaise. “You’ll see that we have numerous amenities that…” Charlie continued before a white and purple tail whipped down at her, scratching her hand and making her wince as she let go off her flyers. The pages of her hard work written in sleepless nights flew out of her arms, scattering onto the dirty floor. 

“F*ck off!” The wolf demon growled as Charlie trembled despite herself, “You’re an idiot if you think anyone will want to go along with this stupid idea of yours. They’ll become a laughingstock.” He glared hard at Charlie, “Just like you are, PRINCESS.”

“Stop wasting our time. Come on guys, let’s get out of here.” He dismissed as he turned and exited the alleyway, his friends following him. Charlie’s mouth opened but no words came as she grasped forward, as if trying to hold them back. She let her arm fall to her side as she sighed, dropping down to the ground, her eyes dampening ever so slightly as her hand scratched the cobblestone floor to pick up her flyers. 

“That… didn’t go as well as I had hoped…” She gave a weak smile to herself as her arms trembled not to give in to a growing feeling of hollowness. “I guess I really need to work on my approach…” She suddenly feels a hit of tiredness dragging the side of her lips down, curving them into a frown as she feels the rough edges of her flyers. 

She was so tired. Tired of being the laughingstock, tired of being a failure, tired of being the one to hope. Tired of acting naively and cheerfully for others, tired of smiling, tired of laughing, tired of the only one with faith and hope, tired of being the only one believing, only one helping, only one trying. Tired of being the only one fighting against the world.

It was so much easier to let go. To let herself fall, to let the smile turn upside down, to show them that they were right, to let herself drown instead of battling the waves. She was so engulfed in her thoughts as her arms fell to her sides, the flyers she collected threatening to scatter once more that she didn’t notice a familiar tall figure overshadowing her, the light tap of a deer’s groove against the road approaching her from behind and the gentle hum of radio static. 

“So, this is how you’ve been doing things?” Alastor said, his hands kept casually behind his usual red pine striped coat. 

Startles, Charlie dropped all her flyers again but she barely noticed as she turned around. “Al!”

“Good morning darling!” His wide smile and yellow teeth glinted, his eyes glowing a warm red hue as he said with his usual cheer. It registered to her how Al never seemed down, his grin kept permanently on his face. How does he do that?

“What- what are you doing here? I thought you left!” Charlie asked, dismissing that though at the moment. Her confusion were written clearly on her face as she stared at the Radio Demon, though a small flare of hope lighted. So he didn’t leave! Perhaps he still believes in her? In the hotel? Perhaps she wasn’t alone after all.

He laughed as if her words was the silliest in the world as he waved his hand in the air. “Of course not, dear! I simply went on my usual morning stroll!”

Charlie looked away, not wanting Alastor to see the doubt in her eyes. “You were gone for quite a while though…” She turned back before asking almost accusingly, “I thought we were supposed to go out and advertise the hotel this morning?”

It was Alastor’s turn to look the other way though his smile failed to falter. Instead, it widened. “Well… If I’m completely honest…” He faced her, a finger held out as if he just got an idea, “I thought it would be amusing to see how you normally convince these lowlifes to join your hotel!”

He laughed, his arms stretched open, “And I wasn’t disappointed! The show was quite entertaining to watch! Simply splendid!” 

Charlie’s eyes slide away to the ground, the tiredness she felt early returning as her hope was crushed, her mind an empty darkness once more. She should have known. 

A clawed finger, one that is, to her surprise, warm, slid down and lifted her chin. “Smile, my dear. No patrons are going to come if the manager isn’t smiling. I didn’t say we’re giving up. Leave the advertising to me! I am still a radio host, after all, and what’s a radio host if he doesn’t spread news?”

Charlie’s eyes immediately brightened. “Wait, so you are going to earn the patrons through radio?” A smile threatened to blossom as hope filled her once more, flooding her with a gentle splash of warmth. 

“Of course! Thousands of sinners listen to my radio channel, if they want to live. What else?” Alastor laughed as if it was obvious, but his eyes seemed to soften, “So smile, my dear, it’s not the end of the world yet. You go and prepare for the grand opening.” 

She smiled. A big, happy grin. “Thanks Al!” She jumped up and leaped forward. She wasn’t thinking as she hugged the deer demon in the only way she knew to show her deepest gratitude, “I don’t know how to repay you!” She noticed that her face was slightly wet against the red fabric, how his cloth smelled like what she imagined the woods would be: a thin cloth of misty fog, a scent of burnt wood and coal drenched in the fresh air after a spring rain. It smelled good. Warm. It almost smelled like home.

Alastor said quietly, “Eh, darling…” That’s when it dawned to her, and she released the Radio Demon in a jerk. 

“Oh! Sorry! I know you don’t like it! Forgive me!” She said quickly, worry draining her excitement. She didn’t upset him, did she?

He just dusted his coat as he raised a hand, his smile closed, “It doesn’t matter. Be careful next time. Let’s go back to the hotel, shall we?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alastor came to the rescue!
> 
> Inspired and a written version of the comic Alleyway by ObsessedKatie. Check out the original comic here: https://alastarlie.tumblr.com/post/619773082188578816/alleyway-masterpost-a-hazbin-hotel-comic 
> 
> Thanks for reading! Please comment and give feedback! Was Charlie, Vaggie and Alastor canon-like? How is the whole plot?

**Author's Note:**

> Never make a deal with Alastor! You’d think Vaggie is smart enough to know that but next chapter I’ll explain why she did it!
> 
> This is my first Hazbin fanfic! Please leave comments and feedback! And keep reading!


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